Tahoe Tessie (cont'd)

Day 3:

            Again, I am writing down the events of the day, but this time I am not doing it from the cabin of my brother’s boat. No, I am doing this from a cheap, rundown motel near the California/Nevada border. Today was the worst day I’ve had on a quest in years. It was worse than that time I got shot at by hunters while looking for Sasquatch. It was even worse than the one I went on to find the Loveland Frogmen, which I will find. This is what happened:

I was woken up by a loud clap of thunder this morning before 7am this morning. I went out to the deck to see how the weather was. I knew it was supposed to rain, but I didn’t think it would be this bad. The sky was black, the wind was blowing hard, the waves were making the whole boat rock, and it was torrentially down pouring. Not wanting to deal with that weather I went back to sleep. When I woke up a few hours later the wind had died down, but the rain was still coming down. I decided to just tough it out and resume my quest for Tahoe Tessie. By mid-day I was about 200 yards from the shore, near Cave Rock. I spent hours maneuvering the boat, throwing in my bait and waiting with my eyes glued to the monitor. Eventually, the dark of night came back, and so did the wind, waives, and rain. Trying to move in the way I wanted to was a nightmare, but I was convinced I would find it. I paid too much attention to the monitor and not enough to where I was headed.

Without realizing it, I sailed too close to the rocks and hit one. There was a loud bang and the boat came to a halt. It took too much damage and I was forced to call for help. Not only did I ruin my brother’s boat, I was fined for sailing after hours. I don’t think I should come back to look for Tessie… mainly because they won’t let me. 

Tahoe Tessie (cont'd)

Day 2:

            I just turned in for the night after my second day of searching for Tahoe Tessie at Lake Tahoe. Although it’s very late in the night, I’m sitting in the boat writing down the events of the day. Luckily, the boat has a small cabin with plenty of lights, or else it would be impossible to be doing this right now.

            I began my day by sailing deeper into the lake. I kept one camera on the boat with me in case I saw something above the surface. My other camera is made to go underwater, so I fastened it to a pole before I left for California. The pole was bent in half so it made a triangle. I put the camera near the point. This morning I fastened the other two ends of the pole to the side of the boat. I have it set up where I can stream what the camera sees to a monitor I have with me on the boat. It took me a long time to set it up, but eventually I got it working. The footage it sends me is dark and pixelated, but it does its job.

 I read that most people claimed to see Tessie near Cave Rock, which is a little mountain on the shore with a tunnel going through it. So that’s where I went. It’s good it was cool and cloudy today, or else there would have been too many other people around, which would reduce the likelihood of me finding anything. At first I stayed about 150 yards away from the shore. I watched the monitor closely, taking my eyes off of it only to steer the boat. Every once in a while I would move the boat so I could get a different camera angle. Gradually, I sailed closer to the rocks.

My boat was about 80 yards from the shore when I looked up from the monitor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move across the screen. I tossed some bait into the water, hoping that it might come back. The waves began to pick up. I leaned over the side of the boat to see if there was anything in the water, but it had begun to rain. The raindrops hitting the water created ripples which made it difficult to see clearly. Then I saw something. It looked like a shadow passing underneath my boat. Unfortunately, it left just as quickly as it came. By then it was getting late, so I sailed back and docked my boat.

Later I looked over the footage and saw that what I saw the first time was a school of fish. However, the second thing I saw, the shadow, did not get caught on tape. It didn’t look like a school of fish. A school of fish looks loose and there are many different things moving. What I saw appeared to be a solid mass. It was long, but certainly not 80 feet. I’ll check it out again in the morning.

Tahoe Tessie

Since my run-in with the police, I’ve been a little bit reluctant to go hunting for never before seen creatures. However, I’ve still been doing research, and have become interested in finding a creature that lurks in the waters of Lake Tahoe. It is referred to as “Tahoe Tessie” by crypto zoologists. Tahoe Tessie is a common character in the stories told by the Washoe and Paiute tribes. Like almost all other cryptids, most people think this is a made up monster, fabricated to scare children. But those who claim to have seen it say they saw a skinny, 80 foot water serpent with black, smooth skin. The first recorded sightings happened as long ago as the 1800’s, and some people still, to this day, swear they have seen it. I want to see Tahoe Tessie for myself, and maybe even prove that it exists. For this quest I will borrow my brother’s boat and travel to Lake Tahoe in California.

Day 1:

            Today I finally got to Lake Tahoe. It was a long trip, as I drove my truck here all the way from Florida with the boat attached to the back of it. I got it into the water without any problems. I brought all of the equipment I could ever need; food, drinks, cameras, a fishing pole, bait, towels, etc. Then at about noon I sailed away from the dock, further into the lake. It was sunny and there were only a few other boats that I could see in the distance. I pulled out my binoculars to look for anything suspicious. I scanned the water from around my boat all the way to the horizon. A few fish were the only things I saw move.  I decided the best thing to do was to wait. Boredom was going to be a reoccurring problem. I could tell already. So, I grabbed my fishing pole and tackle box, and fished to kill some time. Although it was boring, it was a very peaceful afternoon, and I caught quite a few fish. Not much was accomplished today, but I’ll get out here extra early tomorrow morning.

The Loveland Frogmen (cont'd)

Day 3:

            I was surprised to even be alive when I first opened my eyes today. I am getting way too old for this. I checked my watch. It said 11:30am. My whole body felt sore and slow. I decided that I’ve had enough. I had given up and decided to just go home. One problem remained: I was lost in the middle of the woods with a crate, a flashlight, a knife, a compass, a watch and a can of paint. All I remembered was that I was going west when I stopped, so that meant I had to travel east. I did so, not completely sure if the direction I was traveling in was the right one. I walked slowly, looking for some of my boot imprints. Eventually, things began to look familiar again. It turned out that I was not as far away as I had thought. I looked across a small stream and saw the sideways tree. I checked my cameras as soon as I got there. At first it looked like the other footage I got, but after giving it a second look I noticed there was something moving in the background. I couldn’t tell for sure what it was. It was a dark figure moving across a dark background. Still, there was enough proof to make me want to look for the rest of the day.                  

           Before I started my search again, I had to go back to my camp for food, water and other supplies. I had my mind so set on finding the creature that it took me a few minutes to realize that a lot of my things were not where I left them. It was obvious that someone, or something, had been going through my things. I took a walk through the woods to investigate. Then I heard footsteps. It was walking on two legs, just like the Loveland Frogmen.  Before I knew it we were face to face with each other, only it wasn’t a Loveland Frogman. It was a State Trooper. And he wasn’t too happy to see me there. Apparently, I was trespassing on private property. Luckily, I got off lightly with just a slap on the wrist… and a ticket. Since I was breaking the law, I had to pack up my gear and leave, but I will find the Loveland Frogmen (eventually). 

The Loveland Frogmen (cont'd)

Day 2:

            It was a long, uncomfortable night. I woke up sore this morning, before the sun was even out, to check my cameras. Again, they showed nothing. I returned to my camp to start making my breakfast. After breakfast I began to venture into the wilderness. I went about 200 yards through a wet field and another 100 into the woods before I saw some tracks. Excited, I got a closer look at them, but determined that they were from a raccoon. This at least meant that there were other animals around. Before then I hadn’t seen anything other than a few birds and some bugs. I saw a tree to the west of where I spotted the tracks. It had fallen over and its roots were unearthed with mud still stuck to them. It looked like the perfect place to find a frogman. Again, there was nothing notable. It was already after noon, and I was exhausted, hungry and discouraged, so I went back.

            I returned to that same spot this evening, as the sun was going down. This time I brought a new item with me. It was a crate that I picked up from town this afternoon. When I went back to my camp earlier in the day, two things occurred to me: I would need something to keep this thing in, and I have only really looked for it during the day. I figured I might have better luck when it’s dark out. I also brought my can of paint for good luck. The first place I looked at was the fallen tree. I could tell just by looking at the area around it that something was not right. Some branches were broken off and there was a big hole in the wall of dirt around the roots. Out of fear of scaring it away, I set up one of my cameras on a nearby tree and got out of there. For the better part of an hour I waltzed around looking for some sort of clue. Finally, I sat down under a tree to rest. When I checked my watch it said it was only 10:00. For a little extra luck, I cracked open the paint can and took a whiff. Maybe I’m just superstitious, or maybe there is some supernatural correlation between that brand of paint and cryptids. After fifteen minutes I got up and went back to searching. I was willing to stay out there all night if I had to; I just didn’t think I would. Some time passed, but I finally saw something. I heard something rustling in the bushes to my right. Then something ran out of it, so I chased it down. I chassed that sucker for a while, but I was too slow and it had escaped. Before I knew it I was completely lost. I had no idea of where I was and I forgot my GPS in the truck. I had no choice but to find the safest place and settle down for the night. I am still at that place, waiting for morning to come.

The Loveland Frogmen

            After my encounter with the strange animal, I tried to do research on it, but there was no information. Then, one day I began hearing rumors about this sighting in Loveland, Ohio. A truck driver almost hit this 4 foot frog like animal. When he got out to see if it was hurt it ran away on its hind legs. I couldn’t believe it. It almost completely matched my description. They called it the Loveland Frogman. Since I’ve started writing these blogs I’ve been thinking a lot about that day behind my house, and it’s inspired me to go back, find, and capture a Loveland Frogman. I will return to my hometown of Palm Valley, Florida, to begin my cryptid quest, where I will document, in writing, my journey.

            Day 1:

I looked out of the window of my truck late this afternoon to see that familiar place. It was just as I remembered it: deep, green swamps, tall grass, and bugs; lots and lots of bugs. I couldn’t wait around and look around for much longer because it would get too dark soon and the bugs would be intolerable. I had to get started. I went back to my truck to get my things. I took out my bug spray, compass, flash light, knife, cameras, tent, blankets and food rations. Then I folded down the passenger side seat, picked up my lucky can of paint and took it with me. I went to the south of where I first saw it to set up camp. I pitched my tent and set up my cameras in strategic positions. I went into town after that to pick up a few more supplies. By the time I came back it was dark. I went to the banks of the marsh to look for prints in the mud; nothing. I checked my cameras next; also nothing.

So here I am in my tent, too tired to keep going. I guess I’ll continue tomorrow.

Cryptid Quests

You’re in the woods, all by yourself. You look to your left, to your right, in front of you and behind you. There’s nothing there- nothing but trees and whatever lurks within them. You may know the area like the back of your hand, but now it’s a totally foreign place as you try to navigate through the brush in the dark of night. You sense that you are being watched. You can physically feel the weight of its eyes pressing down on your back. This is the feeling that for the past twenty-five years I’ve been living for.

            My name is Art Vandeller and I’m an amateur crypto zoologist. I’ve spent the last quarter century tracking and hunting down creatures that mankind has yet to discover. Because of my hobby I have been deemed as “weird”, a “lunatic”, a “virgin for life”, etc. by my peers. Well they’re not going to think so when I single- handedly catch a Chupacabra or Sasquatch, or, I don’t know, the Loch Ness Monster!

            My fascination with mystical animals began when I was fifteen years old. My father told me to repaint the old shed in the back yard. It had to have been the hottest day Florida has ever seen, and the fumes from the paint were the strongest I’ve ever smelled. After some time, everything began to spin and I felt very light-headed. I got a glass of water and sat down for a minute, but I was still in direct sunlight. So I went into the marsh behind the property line, where there was more shade. I found a dry spot to wait on while my head stopped spinning.

            I sat in silence for a long time. Then something slipped into the water. I didn’t see what it was at first. It looked like it had scales, so I figured it was a reptile of some sort; maybe a small alligator. But when I went to investigate it I found that it was not an alligator at all. It was this three and a half foot frog-like creature. It wasn’t like anything else I’ve seen before. I swear to god the thing winked at me before it went back under water. When I told my friends and family about it they didn’t take me seriously.